2023 NFL quarterback analysis: Cincinnati Bengals
Current starter: Joe Burrow | Current backup: Brandon Allen
State of the position: Most NFL teams envy the Bengals. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Burrow, and according to the third-year QB, Cincinnati's Super Bowl window is open as long as he is their starter.
Burrow, a fixture in the NFL MVP conversation, backs up his words with his play. He had 4,475 passing yards and 40 touchdowns (35 passing, five rushing) in 2022.
Allen, meanwhile, played sparingly in Cincinnati's Week 9 blowout win vs. the Panthers. Since 2020, he has thrown for seven touchdowns and four interceptions as a Bengal.
Key stat: At 26, Burrow already has the most playoff wins (four) in team history.
2023 QB forecast: Burrow has one year left on his rookie contract, and Cincinnati may even lock him up before the start of the 2023 season. Bold prediction: It will be costly. In June, FanSided asked three prominent agents what Burrow could command per year. One said as much as $57.5 million per year.
Burrow certainly will be paid in the range of the league's other top quarterbacks, and he will be worth every penny -- especially if he leads the Bengals to a second straight Super Bowl. Per ESPN.com, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers is the league's highest-paid QB on an annual basis ($50.2 million).
Allen will become a free agent at the end of this season, but Cincinnati could easily bring him back on another one-year deal.
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